Purification of petroleum oils



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN nuns noon, or nonnomnnsmnn,

ASSIGNOR TO THE OIL REFIN IN G- IMPROVE- HERE'S COMPANY, LIMITED, 013 GLASGOW, NORTH BRITAIN.

PURIFICATION OF PETROLEUM OILS.

England, have invented new and useful Improvements' in the Purification of Petroleum Oils, of which the following is a specification.

, This invention has for its object the desulphurization of mineral or petroleum oils whether. occurring naturally or obtained in arating the di the process of destructive distillation of shale and similar minerals. As is well known, all these liquids are more or less contaminated by organic sulphur bodies, the nature of which is not exactlyknown. They may be-' long to What are classed as the thiophenes or the mercaptans, or occur as sulphides of organic radicals, and their presence in combustible .oils, such. as gasolines and kerosenes, is objectionable, not only because of their offensive odor, but also because during the process of combustion the sulphur is more or less converted into sulphuric acid or sulphur dioxide.

Each articular variety of these oils appears to ave its bodies present in the products obtained by distillation. For instance, the oils of Burmah contain very little or only traces of these bodies, whereas the oils of'Persia and exico are comparatively rich in'sulphur compounds, and in one variet of oil they may accumulate more in the lig ter fractions than in the heavier ones, while with another variety of oil the heavier fractions may contain more sulphur than do the lighterones. The. stabilit of these ingredients is also ,very variab e. Some sufier decomposition during the veif'ly act of distillation in seperent fractions of gasolines,

kerosenes, and lubricating oils. Others of a more stable character pass into these repared materials, deterioratin their qua ity, as thetemperatures at whic the dlfierent distillations have been effected have been in= suflicient to break up or disassociatelthem. That is, the heat of distillation alone yvill oils of this latter class.

According to this invention, an oil is heated sufiiciently to vaporize it, and this vapords. passed into contact with certain granular bodies, by which means the sulphur compounds contained therein are dis- ,usually liberated as own characteristic sulphur not decompose such sulphur compounds in Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an, 24, 1922.

1919. Serial No. 312,614.

associated or in some casesabsorbed. When dlsassociation takes place the sulphur is sulphuretted hydrogen which may be absorbed by oxide of iron, Weldon mud or other material in the customary manner. If the oil has been obtained by fractional distillation, the tem peratures to which it is heated should generally be greater than that at which it was distilled.

The granulated solid body I employ is pure granulated alumina A1 0 prepared in a suitable manner from the trihydrate or its nearest natural analogue,v carefully selected and granulated high grade bauxite,

which is substantially trihydrate of aluminum. 7 As is well known, this is dehydrated by heating to produce the oxide. This material is contained in a suitable apparatus which may be in .the form'of cylindrical retorts and is maintained ata suitable temperature' As pointedout above, this temperature depends on the particular oil being treated and also on the stability of the sulphur bodies which are to be broken up or disassociated. I

In .some cases petroleum oils of high boiling point, such as solar oil or fuel oil, on being passed into contact with the dehydrated or ignited bauxite,- or alumina mamtained at a sufficiently hi h temperature, will not only have the sulp ur bodies contained-in them disassociated with the liberation of sulphuretted hydrogen, but the oils themselves will be decomposed so that li hter oils may be obtained.

W'ithou't limiting myself to details, the following example is given for the purpose of more completely explaining the manner in which the invention may be carried out, but the invention is not restricted to this particular example.

A petroleum oil fraction boilin between 50 and 150 degrees C.,-and containing 0.10%

ant vapors over an absorbent of the sulphur compounds.

2. The process of desulphurizing hydrocarbon oils which comprises vaporizing the oil,' bringing the vapor into contact with ignited aluminum hydrate to liberate sulphuretted hydrogen, and removing said sulphuretted hydrogen.

3. The process of desulphurizing hydro I carbon oils which comprises vaporizlng the oil, bringing the vapor into contact with ignited aluminum hydrate at a temperature higher than the distillation temperature of.

the oilto convert the sulphur compounds largely into gaseous form, and then absorbing said gaseous sulphur compounds.

4:. The process of desulphurizing hydrocarbon oils which comprises vaporizlng the pounds.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name this 25th day of June, 1919.

JOHN JaMns noon. 

